The department offers an interdisciplinary professional MA in Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies (REEES) focusing on Russian language proficiency as well as Russian, East European and Eurasian cultures. The MA program is strongly interdisciplinary and students can pursue connections between Russian, East European and Eurasian history, politics and culture from the 19th through the 21st centuries. The faculty's strengths include literature, cinema, folklore, literary/cultural theory, cultural studies, gender and sexuality studies, minority studies, nationalism, environmental humanities, sociolinguistics and pedagogy.
The faculty works closely with students to design their own course of study. Some REEES MA students receive a teaching assistantship and tuition waiver.
For contact information and more general information on the MA in Russian, East European and Eurasian studies, visit the REEES Program website or email gsll_assist@colorado.edu.
Requirements
Course Requirements
REEES MA students may take up to 12 credit hours in an outside area. Students frequently choose business, political science, geography, women and gender studies, education, history, linguistics, film studies, Jewish studies, religious studies, fine arts, and theater and dance, but students may pursue other options. All outside area courses must be approved by the Director of REEES Graduate Studies.
Upon approval of the Director of REEES Graduate Studies, students may take up to six credit hours of 3000- or 4000-level courses toward their MA degree.
Students interested in independent study should check with a faculty member who may sponsor the independent study, and then obtain an informational sheet and an Independent Study Contract from the department. Once the contract is approved by the chair, a staff member will enroll the student in the course. MA students may not take more than a total of 7 hours of independent study.
Transfer credit from accredited institutions is accepted by CU Boulder only after approval by the Director of REEES Graduate Studies and the Graduate School. Transfer credit is defined as any credit earned at another accredited institution, credits earned on another campus of the CU system or credits earned as a nondegree student within the CU system. MA students are allowed a maximum of 9 hours of transfer credit.
All students must pass the Russian language proficiency exam, consisting of written and oral components, during their final semester. Educated native Russian speakers are exempt from the language proficiency exam.
Degree Plans
Plan I: Thesis Option
Students must complete at least 30 credit hours, including 24 hours of coursework and 6 thesis hours. Students must submit a thesis and pass a one-hour oral defense.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | 14 | |
| Advanced Russian Seminar 1 | ||
| Advanced Russian Seminar 2 1 | ||
| Slavic Culture and Society | ||
| Russia after Communism: Post-Soviet Politics and Culture | ||
| Thesis | 6 | |
| Master's Thesis | ||
| Electives | 10 | |
| Complete additional courses to fulfill the 30-credit minimum. Options include: | ||
| Professional Russian 2 | ||
| Topics in Russian, East European and Eurasian Culture | ||
| History of Russian and Soviet Cinema | ||
| Topics in Russian, East European and Eurasian Culture (in Russian) | ||
| Stalinism: Culture and Society | ||
| Russian Cultural Idioms 2 | ||
| Russian and Soviet Queer Culture | ||
| American-Russian Cultural Relations | ||
| Mythological Russia and Ukraine | ||
| Russian Novel: Theory and Practice | ||
| Dostoevsky | ||
| Tolstoy | ||
| Chekhov | ||
| Women in 20th-21st Century Russian, East European and Eurasian Cultures | ||
| Rogues to Revolutionaries: Russian Rebels, Past and Present | ||
| 20th Century Russian Literature and Art | ||
| Topics in Literature and History | ||
| Contemporary Russian Literature | ||
| History of Modern Russian Drama | ||
| Critical Thinking: Russian Film and Society | ||
| Russian Film and Society | ||
| Absurd and Supernatural in Russian Literature | ||
| Understanding Ukraine: Culture, Diversity, Conflict | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 30 | |
| 1 | Native speakers are exempt from RUSS 5010 and RUSS 5020, and should contact the Director of REEES Graduate Studies for alternate coursework. For details, please see Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies MA Handbook. |
| 2 | These courses are strongly recommended for non-native speakers. |
Plan II: Non-Thesis Option
Students must complete at least 30 credit hours of coursework, then pass a written MA final exam and a one-hour oral defense.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | 14 | |
| Advanced Russian Seminar 1 | ||
| Advanced Russian Seminar 2 1 | ||
| Slavic Culture and Society | ||
| Russia after Communism: Post-Soviet Politics and Culture | ||
| Electives | 16 | |
| Complete additional courses to fulfill the 30-credit minimum. Options include: | ||
| Professional Russian 2 | ||
| Topics in Russian, East European and Eurasian Culture | ||
| History of Russian and Soviet Cinema | ||
| Stalinism: Culture and Society | ||
| Topics in Russian, East European and Eurasian Culture (in Russian) | ||
| Russian Cultural Idioms 2 | ||
| Russian and Soviet Queer Culture | ||
| American-Russian Cultural Relations | ||
| Mythological Russia and Ukraine | ||
| Russian Novel: Theory and Practice | ||
| Dostoevsky | ||
| Tolstoy | ||
| Chekhov | ||
| Women in 20th-21st Century Russian, East European and Eurasian Cultures | ||
| Rogues to Revolutionaries: Russian Rebels, Past and Present | ||
| 20th Century Russian Literature and Art | ||
| Topics in Literature and History | ||
| Contemporary Russian Literature | ||
| History of Modern Russian Drama | ||
| Critical Thinking: Russian Film and Society | ||
| Russian Film and Society | ||
| Absurd and Supernatural in Russian Literature | ||
| Understanding Ukraine: Culture, Diversity, Conflict | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 30 | |
| 1 | Native speakers are exempt from RUSS 5010 and RUSS 5020, and should contact the Director of REEES Graduate Studies for alternate coursework. For details, please see Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies MA Handbook. |
| 2 | These courses are strongly recommended for non-native speakers. |
Learning Outcomes
By the completion of the program, students will be able:
- Demonstrate an advanced level of understanding of and critical engagement with historical periodization and major cultural shifts in the region.
- Demonstrate awareness of and engagement with important and relevant current and past academic scholarship in Russian, East European and Eurasian studies.
- Formulate independent research questions, utilize advanced research methodologies and apply critical thinking in order to analyze complex regional issues, works of literature and arts, develop original scholarship and contribute to academic discussions.
- Recognize cultural, linguistic, ethnic and religious diversity of the countries on the territories of Eastern Europe, the former Russian Empire and the Soviet Union and to be able to apply this knowledge to a critical and comparative interpretation of their cultural and political life.
- Develop proficiency in Russian language or other regional languages, written and spoken, to the level of advanced low on the ACTFL scale, in order to enable culturally appropriate communication, professional communication, self-expression and creativity.